


Consequences of Revenge

by Aria6



Category: Bleach
Genre: Aizen and Gin are bastards, M/M, Prostitution, Revenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-14
Updated: 2013-12-14
Packaged: 2018-04-05 10:37:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4176684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria6/pseuds/Aria6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Los Noches, Grimmjow rapes Ichigo... but there's a reason behind his actions, a purpose to his madness. Why does he hate Aizen so much? Partly inspired by Nova Alexandra's fics, partly by a manga. Not going to tell you which just yet. :) Grimm/Ichi, Ichi/Grimm. Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: The Claiming is inspired by Nova Alexandra's fics. The events that led Grimmjow to this are inspired by a manga, but I won't tell you which one just yet. ^_^ Suffice to say, Grimm is pissed.

Grimmjow looked down at the battered corpse without sadness or pity.

Kurosaki Ichigo was dead. Very, very dead. Extremely dead. Grimmjow laughed at the thought, a cold, vicious sound. Then he tossed Orihime onto the floor in front of him. The look on her face when she realized who she was looking at… that was pretty good. He grinned before shoving her in the back.

"Heal him, woman." He ordered roughly. "Not all the way." He had plans for Ichigo and they didn't involve a fight. Everyone thought that, of course. "I want to talk to him." He partially lied. He actually had very little interest in speaking to the teen beyond explaining a few things. He was mostly interested in putting his final plan into effect.

_I've been waiting for so long._ He thought almost dreamily as he watched the woman healing Kurosaki. It would take a while for Ulquiorra to get out of that prison he'd trapped him in. Hopefully it would be long enough. _So very long._ A mirthless grin stretched his face as he waited for the woman to be done. Then he scowled. The bitch was being too thorough.

"Just get him alive, woman. I told you, not all the way." He growled. The last thing he wanted was another fight. "You can heal him all the way later." He added and she stopped, looking up at him before drawing her hands away. He scowled at her. The brat was still dead!

"No. You'll hurt Kurosaki-kun." She said, a display of defiance that surprised him. He threw back his head and barked a laugh before grabbing the collar of her dress and yanking her off her feet.

"Hurt him? I hate to break it to you, woman, but he's dead." He said mockingly and she just gripped his wrist, giving him that look of hers. Sort of pathetic and sort of… wise? Whatever. "Right now, he has no fucking hope. He's just a piece of meat. Are you going to let his story end like that? Dead in Los Noches, nothing but a fucking failure? Would he want that?" He said and her eyes went wide. Not what she'd expected from him, clearly. But he was done with playing his part. This was the end game, he could reveal a bit of his true self. "I sure as fuck wouldn't. Now heal him!" He dropped her and she stared at him for a moment before crawling back to her Kurosaki-kun. Nel was maundering on and he walked over to the brat. She went utterly silent as she noticed him above her, her brown eyes full of tears. "The fuck are you doing here anyway?" He asked the former Tercero before picking her up and taking a seat on the broken stone, settling her on his lap. She looked at him wide eyed. "You got a problem?"

"N-No Grimmjow-sama." She whispered and he grunted before patting her on the head. She was cute, in a fucked up way. But his attention was on Inoue and Ichigo. Soon enough brown eyes fluttered and a halting breath was drawn. Seeing that he set Nel aside and walked up, shattering the golden shield.

"That's enough." He growled and gripped Kurosaki's collar, lifting him up as he coughed and struggled to stay conscious. Maybe he'd broken that shield a bit soon. But then the brat gave him that look that he'd always detested. But not really. Right now, he loved it. That look gave him hope that the shinigami could really do what he wanted. "You both stay here. If Ulquiorra gets out of his cage, scream." He ordered them before dragging Ichigo off. Nel called something and Orihime's voice was pleading but he didn't bother to listen. As soon as they were in a private spot he shoved Kurosaki down onto his belly.

"What the hell…?" The teen sounded flat out confused. He tried to push himself up and got shoved down for his efforts. "Grimmjow?"

"Shut up." The panther growled before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bottle. It wasn't ideal, just some hand cream, but it had been easy to get during a trip to the Living World. "I don't have much time. We need to get this shit over and done with fast." Reaching down he yanked down the shinigami's pants, finding the ties to the fabric easily. "Ugh, underwear." That was annoying. He yanked down the offending garment as the shinigami began to struggle in earnest. Laughing, he pinned him down with his reiatsu alone. His power was fresh while Kurosaki's was anything but.

"Get off me you fucking pervert! What the hell are you doing?" Stupid and defiant, that was a good description for the brat. Grimmjow just sneered and began preparing him. Muscles clenched up tightly, trying to deny his fingers entry as the teen squirmed. "Oh my god, stop!" He sounded panicked now and Grimmjow growled at him, annoyed.

"I am going to claim you." He said with a note of dark promise and saw the teen stiffen, probably as his hollow yelled at him. The shinigami wouldn't understand but the hollow certainly would. "And this is your lucky day, shinigami. You're about to feel the most intense pleasure you'll ever know." That was just a fact. Drawing in his power he began to ease his cock inside that firm, tight ass. Kurosaki screamed and tried to get away, but he kept a firm grip on the back of his neck as he seated himself. Then he let a bit of his power slide into the shinigami.

The yelp he got and the way the teen quivered was gratifying. It got better as he drew out and slowly, carefully went back in, spilling more of his reiatsu into the waiting body. The shinigami's cock, which had been soft a moment ago had suddenly gone bolt upright. Grimmjow knew that to Kurosaki, it would feel like his body was being stroked from the inside out, the very core of his being filled with an intense pleasure. It really was a shame he couldn't draw the experience out. But this just had to be quick. Narrowing his eyes Grimmjow speeded his pace, putting as much reiatsu into Kurosaki as his battered body could take. When he decided it was enough he bit the teen's throat, drinking back a bit of reiatsu. That gave him some pleasure and he found his release, growling as he filled the shinigami with his seed. There was a shudder under him and a harsh, wracking sob. Grimmjow grinned as he drew away, watching a bit of semen run down Kurosaki's thigh. He ran a finger over that soft skin, gathering up the salty liquid and licking it off his fingers.

"Now, Kurosaki. Just in case your hollow didn't get a chance to tell you, that was a hollow claim. By our rules, you are my property. Not just my bitch, my absolute slave… for now." Grimmjow grinned as Ichigo looked over his shoulder, his eyes glazed with tears and his expression absolutely furious. "Now, my first order. You will not under any circumstances reveal anything about when, how, or who claimed you." He put enough power into the order that it would be cast iron. Ichigo just glared at him and Grimmjow grabbed his shoulder, pulling the shinigami onto his back. "Now, for second. I want to talk to your hollow." That wasn't a claim enforced order and Kurosaki looked a little confused. "I need you to do something but I don't think you'd know how. He will. Get him out, would you?" He really needed the bastard. Ichigo frowned but reached up and pulled down his mask.

The black and gold hollow eyes that looked at him promised a slow, painful death. But the hollow didn't say anything. He no doubt had a much better grasp of reality than his handler and he knew they were both screwed, literally. Grimmjow grinned into that bone covered face.

"Now, here's the deal. I want you to complete the claim." He said and had the satisfaction of seeing that stare go from "I'm going to kill you" to "HOLY FUCK WHAT?" At least, that was what he imagined the hollow was thinking if the wide eyes were any indication. "Then you're going to take my power and gut Aizen… preferably very, very slowly. And if you can gut Gin too I would love you forever." Grimmjow said, the dark desire filling his voice like smoke. The hollow just stared at him a moment before finding his voice.

"That's… insane, but clever. It might even work." The hollow cocked his head to one side, thinking about it. "And you've set it up so we take all the risk." Grimmjow grinned viciously. It was true, he had. Even if Kurosaki was taken alive and tortured, he wouldn't give up the secret. And with Szayel dead Aizen would have a hell of a time figuring out who held the claim. Then the hollow gave him a wondering look. "What the hell did Aizen do to you, to make you hate him so much?" He asked and there was no hostility, only curiosity. Grimmjow shrugged.

"Survive and win and maybe I'll tell you. It's enough to know that the thought of your sword, sliding through that bastard's guts… Gin dying in a puddle of his own puke and piss… shit!" Grimmjow groaned and suddenly ground his hips against the hollows. Black and gold eyes stared up at him, shocked and disbelieving. "See, I'm happy already." He groaned, rubbing against the other hollow. He was hard as a rock. The hollow tittered, an insane giggle.

"And I thought I was crazy… shit, I like you. But there's a problem. I'm the Horse, not the King, and I'm not really in charge of Ichigo's reiatsu. He'll have to do the claim." The hollow warned and Grimmjow frowned. "I'll walk him through it but I have a condition. He gets to ride you." The hollow said and Grimmjow just stared at him for a moment before tossing his head back in a wild laugh.

"You think that would put me off, hollow?" He pulled himself off then lay on the floor, spreading his legs in a wanton gesture. "Fuck me so hard I can't see straight." He said and the hollow cackled before pouncing on him. There was a method to the creature's madness, Grimmjow discovered. Kurosaki's body was hilt deep in him before control was wrested away from the hollow and shocked brown eyes stared at him.

"No! I can't – " He tried to jerk away but Grimmjow had him in a tight embrace.

"You can. You will." He growled, rocking his hips against his unwilling partner. He tightened his muscles and watched Kurosaki gasp. "A hollow claim is nothing but ownership. With a mating claim you can take my power and use it to fight." That was so a hollow could defend their pups from any comers. What he was doing was a perversion of that, but Grimmjow was beyond caring. "Now fuck me like you mean it." He whispered harshly into the teens' ear and Kurosaki gasped as a half-mask began to form on his face. The hollow wasn't assuming full control but he was helping the teen, letting him use his animal instincts.

And use them he did. It was fast, just like Grimmjow's claim. Kurosaki set a punishing pace, releasing all the reiatsu he had into Grimmjow's body. The power difference right now was enough that he could have denied the claim, but he embraced it. He submitted his reiatsu and allowed Kurosaki's to mingle, soaking into his body. The pleasure was mind blowing but he kept enough awareness to bite Kurosaki's shoulder as the teen bit his neck. The equal exchange invalidated his earlier hollow claim, but it didn't invalidate the single order he'd given under it. That compulsion would linger for as long as the claim itself did. Grimmjow estimated that would be around a year, give or take.

They were both left panting and exhausted. Ichigo stared at him with wide, confused brown eyes that echoed with pain. Grimmjow just grabbed his clothing and began pulling it on.

"Well? Don't just sit there. You need to get healed up and go get your girl out of this pesthole." He urged the shinigami and Ichigo looked even more hurt for a moment before realizing he was right. Shaking his head he pulled his pants back up before giving the arrancar a look that was angry as hell.

"I'm going to kill you for this." Kurosaki said with a deadly calm and Grimmjow just shrugged before flashing him a vicious smile.

"I'll die happy soul reaper. Just kill them for me." He purred and Ichigo blinked before swallowing, hard. Freaking the teen out was easy and pretty fun. "See you later." Right now he needed to find a bolt hole. When Kurosaki started draining his power he'd be weak as a kitten, no pun intended.

Hopefully, this would work. And if it didn't he'd be no worse off.


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo sighed as he got home from school.

Going back to being a normal student after fighting a war wasn't easy. Fortunately, most of his friends knew what had happened. But none of them fully understood the depth of his pain, or the rage that lived in his heart.

_Grimmjow._ His thoughts went back to the Sexta. (Sex-ta. That was funny but not really.) The arrancar had taken his virginity for his cold hearted revenge. Worst of all, it had worked perfectly. His hollow had wrung every single drop of power he could from that bond, effectively doubling his reiatsu. They'd defeated Aizen and he was imprisoned now, in Soul Society. Gin was dead, just as Grimmjow had desired. And he'd died at Ichigo's hands.

His feelings about the arrancar veered wildly, ranging from gratefulness to his own deep seated desire for revenge. He'd been raped and while it had given him the means to defend his friends and family, it had still been rape. Sometimes he thought the dichotomy might drive him insane. It didn't help that he'd been feeling sick for the past week. Leg cramps, stomach cramps, head pains… Isshin had no idea what was wrong with him but he was worried enough to have taken plenty of blood and sent it for testing. They wouldn't get the results for a week. Although he'd felt much better today…

Opening the door to his room he stopped dead as he saw a familiar and entirely unwelcome form on his bed. He was sleeping on his stomach, his arms and legs carelessly spread out across the sheets.

"Grimmjow!" He snarled, pure rage flowing through him. There was a snort and bright blue eyes blinked. In a blink Ichigo was there, his hand fisted in white fabric as he dragged the arrancar onto his back. "How dare you show up here?!" He cocked his fist back and –

_Don't do that King. You'll feel his pain._ Shiro warned and Ichigo hesitated. Then he saw that Grimmjow was grimacing.

"Can you tone it down? Fuck, you're killing me over here!" He complained, rubbing his head like it hurt. That threw Ichigo off for a moment before his hollow spoke.

_For fuck's sake King, I know you were distracted and shit but didn't you keep anything I said? The mating bond means he can feel your emotions and right now, you're practically force feeding him your anger! Stop it, he might start feeding on it and then it will all go bad._ Ichigo took a deep breath and did his best to leash his temper as he let go of the Sexta's collar.

"What are you doing here?" He said as calmly as he could. It was difficult, given that the bastard was _lying on his bed._ Just that fact made him want to punch Grimmjow's lights out. The arrancar sat up, giving him a surprisingly nice smile. It was different from his usual, homicidal grin. Just a friendly expression.

"Have you been feeling sick lately? Headaches, joint pains, cramps and shit?" He asked quietly and Ichigo's eyes went wide. Grimmjow chuckled softly at his expression. "Yeah, me too. I guess there's a problem with maintaining a mating bond when the parties are in different worlds."

_Shit. I'd wondered if it might be that._ Shiro said quietly and Ichigo scowled, giving his hollow half a betrayed feeling. _Hey! I was just waiting for your bloodwork to get back. No reason to stress you out if it was mundane bullshit._

_I agreed with him Ichigo._ Zangetsu said and Ichigo's frown lessened. He trusted his zanpakuto as much as he distrusted his hollow. _Given the difficulties we would have faced in Hueco Mundo, it seemed prudent to eliminate natural causes first._

_But now we don't have to worry about Hueco Mundo. The cat is here. But what's he gonna do?_ Shiro asked and Ichigo nodded before turning his attention to Grimmjow. The arrancar was just watching him, his fingers laced behind his head as he leaned against the wall. _HEY! Ask him why he hates Aizen so much. I really wanna know!_ Ichigo grimaced. Shiro had done plenty of speculation on that, everything ranging from rape to murdering his children. His hollow half was absolutely sure it had to something outrageously awful for Grimmjow to use a mating bond this way. Ichigo wasn't as sure, but he had to admit that it gave him power over Grimmjow. Letting someone else have a hold over him wasn't what he would have expected from the arrancar.

"Why did you hate Aizen so much?" He asked and Grimmjow scowled as he abruptly straightened, pushing himself up against the headboard. Blue eyes met brown and Ichigo could see the smoldering anger there. But it was partly banked, tinged with satisfaction.

"You really want to know?" Grimmjow said seriously and Ichigo nodded. He could feel his hollows burning curiosity and even some curiosity from Zangetsu. They wanted to know what had driven the Espada to this treachery. "Okay. It happened like this…"

* * *

_I guess it started when Aizen cracked my mask._

_I was right on the edge of vasto lorde. I could feel the swelling, the gathering of power inside me. And when Aizen broke my mask, I felt it boil over. I made vasto lorde in that moment. I can't prove it but I'm sure of it. A low level vasto lorde, maybe, but still one of the elite of my race._

_What does that matter, you might ask? It matters because vasto lorde have more feelings. Or they can, at least. Ulquiorra never tried, he embraced the emptiness of a hollow until the woman came along. I was quite another matter. I'd always been a creature of emotions and now I expanded my repertoire. I learned compassion, dignity, loyalty… and love._

_Sounds great, doesn't it? Not really. Aizen fascinated me. He was so strong, so intelligent. If he'd been a hollow he'd have been an ideal mate. Of course he wasn't, we could never have a mating bond but I still decided to try for him. I didn't know shit about shinigami courtships, though, and I'm sure he thought my clumsy attempts at expressing my interest were funny. But he took me up on it, probably because I'm so damned hot. Don't you agree, Ichigo?_

_Haha, my dreams are better than you can imagine. But anyway. We started sharing a bed, but it was more than that. He… took me places. It wasn't easy, we had to be careful but Aizen took me to Soul Society a few times. I remember the cherry trees. That was such a beautiful day… the blue sky, the fluffy white clouds. I saw a river. The first time I saw water in so long… he put a flower in my hair, little pink cherry blossoms._

_We made love under the cherry trees and that was the first time I told him that I loved him. But Aizen never said the same to me. He just smiled and kissed me. I guess that should have been a hint, hey? But I didn't let it get to me. I was only the ninth Espada back then, still working on mastering my powers, still climbing the ladder. He was Aizen, our leader, so much more powerful than me. I had to get stronger and even when I did, well, he was a shinigami. We couldn't have a mating bond, not really. So I didn't let it bother me and just spoke what was in my heart. I loved him…_

_We went on like that for a while. I did anything he wanted. Some of it was a little strange… toys and – oh fine, you don't need to know. Prude. Anyway, one night Aizen finished with me and I was walking back to my rooms. We didn't sleep together. It would be too much favoritism, ya know? But I was sleepy and not paying much attention to my surroundings. And why should I? Your hollow would understand… Aizen's scent was all over me, his reiatsu and the scent of his cum. No hollow would fuck with me, not like that._

_But it wasn't a hollow who ambushed me, it was a shinigami. Fuck it hurt… Gin had me up against the wall, that sword of his in my mouth. You know how Shinso worked? You're looking sick, I see you do. I like my brain in my head so there I was, sweating and trying not to even breathe as that fox faced fucker smiled at me. He told me I was a little upstart, just deluding myself and he was going to show me what I really meant to Aizen._

_The rest of the night really sucked. I didn't mind Aizen's cock in my ass. He was over twice my power and our overlord, even if I didn't love him I would have obeyed. Gin? He could go straight to hell. But he'd caught me at a bad moment and he used the advantage to weaken me. He used his sword to cut me, bleeding me until I was half-conscious and not putting up much of a fight. Then he fucked me. I was already stretched out and lubricated but it still hurt, because I didn't want it. Gin was not the one I loved._

_But I could have dealt with all that. It wasn't my first time… in Hueco Mundo, the strong take what they want. I had a hollow claim on me before, until the asshole holding it got eaten by a stronger hollow. So I could have handled that. But when it was over, he left me on the floor and dropped a blanket over me. White, like everything in Aizen's palace. White blanket, white floor, just my blood to mar it… then Gin told me to wait and watch._

_I couldn't move at that point. I think I passed out for a while… when I came to I lifted my head and saw them together. Aizen and Gin. He was kissing the fox faced bastard, his hand in that silver hair._

_You can't imagine how I felt. I'd never felt anything like it in my life. Betrayal doesn't even come close. I felt like my heart was being torn out all over again, an unimaginable pain that rattled through my mind and soul. Then Aizen saw me. He was surprised, I could tell, but then he just raised a finger to his lips in a 'shush' gesture. And that was when I did the most pathetic thing I've ever done in my life. I cried. I bawled like a little girl, sobbed until my throat was aching and my eyes were sore. And as I lay in my own blood, sweat and tears, I felt a new emotion rise. Something comforting, something that would get me through this. A feeling I could count on._

_That feeling was hate. Aizen never asked me to share his bed, after that. We hardly spoke, except when he gave me his orders. I let him see my temper, my rage and disgruntlement. But I never let him know how deeply my feelings went, how much I loathed him. He probably figured out a bit of it but it amused him. The fucker never took me seriously._

_And he was right not to. I climbed the ranks, made Sexta. In a few more years I bet I could have gone higher, beat out Nnoitra for certain. Maybe gotten over Ulquiorra and Halibel, made Tercero. But so what? What good would that do? I needed Aizen dead and not even Starrk could do it. Yammy in his released form? Not a chance. I needed more, and then I heard about a shinigami who might be a threat._

_You disappointed me, the first time we fought. But the second time I was singing a fucking hosanna. It took me a bit to figure out what that damned mask was but when I fought that other asshole, it came to me. He used a cero and that was a mask of bone. Hollow powers… and that was when the idea came to me. A shinigami who was also a hollow might be able to return a mating claim and then, you would have enough power to fuck Aizen up. I would have liked to do it myself but then all the other Espada would have been gunning for me after. No, it was better this way. It's easier to forgive an enemy than a traitor. And being a hollow is about survival. I wanted my revenge, but I wanted to survive it too…_

* * *

"…And so here we are." Grimmjow concluded his story and Ichigo just stared at the Espada.

It had never really occurred to him that hollows could feel love… or that anyone would be dumb enough to love someone like Aizen. Although now that he thought about it, that was a little foolish of him. Aizen had inspired Momo to a fanatical devotion that could easily be called love. Clearly he was very good at messing with people's minds and who would be more vulnerable than a newly made arrancar? Grimmjow had been new to his feelings, yearning for the positive things that had been lacking before. He'd found them, for a short time, only to have them cruelly yanked away.

It didn't really change how Ichigo felt about him, though. The rage burned through his gut, coupled with a hate that probably wasn't nearly as strong as what Grimmjow had felt for Aizen and Gin. But he felt it all the same, for this monster who had raped him. He kept the feeling to himself, though. With Grimmjow so close he was getting a feel for how the mating bond worked. He could hide things if he really tried.

"So what are you going to do now?" He asked and the ex-Esapada shrugged, taking a lazy position on the bed again.

"I dunno. Hang out in your den, I guess. We need to be careful with each other," He said seriously as Ichigo scowled. "Having a mating bond break sucks balls. There's a shock involved. And you don't want me to get captured by your shinigami friends. First off, I'd be in Soul Society so you'd get all fucked up again. Even worse, they'd probably torture me and there's no way in hell I could keep that to myself. Mating bonds have a downside."

_He's right King. There's a reason why no one does this._ Shiro sounded very serious for once. _I know you hate him but we need to keep him safe until the bond wears off._

"How long will it take for the mating bond to wear off?" Ichigo asked out loud and Grimmjow answered.

"About a year." He said calmly and Ichigo almost choked. A YEAR? He would have to put up with his rapist in his life for a full year? "Might be as many as five. Mating bonds last a lot longer than hollow claims, because the reaitsu's feed on each other. It depends how compatible our powers are."

_It'll be closer to one year. You're a vizard, you can't be that compatible with any hollow._ Shiro supplied but it really wasn't much of a relief. Ichigo hesitated before deciding he had to make the best of it. For now, at least. A dark thought touched him and he put it aside for later. It was interesting, though.

"Well, you can't have my bed. I sleep there. You can have the closet." He said firmly and the Espada looked confused. "Look." He opened the door and showed Grimmjow the little cubby Rukia had always used. The Espada considered it for a moment before nodding.

"Okay." He said cheerfully and Ichigo gave him a surprised look. He'd honestly thought there would be a fight over this. "You realize that hollows like enclosed spaces? It feels safe, shinigami. I had a tough time sleeping in a bed at first." He said and Ichigo blinked. That was odd, although it made sense. "I just hope it can hold me." He said, a bit distrustfully and Ichigo ventured a small smile.

"It managed to hold five gigai, it's stronger than it looks." Grimmjow just shrugged and grabbed the panel, hopping up then curling up in a way that reminded Ichigo of an enormous cat. He closed the door to the closet and glared at it a moment, wishing he could make the occupant go away. This might be better than constant joint pains and headaches, but not by much. Then he frowned, that dark little thought coming back to him. Maybe…?

_Would you really do that King?_ His hollow sounded amused and Ichigo scowled. _Strike him down as soon as the mating claim fades? Murder him in cold blood? Doesn't seem much like you, does it?_

"Shut up." He said to his inner demon, although he could sense Zangetsu's dismay. "I can do what I want." It was his decision, just as it had been Grimmjow's decision to pursue his revenge. Putting the idea aside for now he went to work on his homework.

Life went on, whether he liked it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: So yes, this was inspired by the chuushirou doujinshi... poor Grimm. Sorry if it's a bit short but it is intense. ^_^ Later!


	3. Chapter 3

Grimmjow slept through the night and woke up to the light of dawn peeking through the corners of the closet.

That was actually rather pleasant. In Hueco Mundo, of course, everything had been endless night. Except for Los Noches, which Aizen had given a semblance of night and day to make the shinigami comfortable away from home. Grimmjow had honestly enjoyed that, feeling a return to the cycles of the Living World. He felt that here too and stretched a bit, kinking his back before he slid the door open.

Kurosaki was long gone, from the looks of things. His bed was neatly made and Grimmjow thought about taking a nap on it before putting the idea aside. He wasn't really that tired. Instead he scratched himself before heading for the shower. Aizen had gotten him hooked on showers…

Shoving that mildly painful thought away, Grimmjow made use of the facilities. The water was pleasantly hot and he revelled in, letting it soak him before soaping up. For a moment he was tempted to wack off to memories of the mating claim but then he firmly suppressed the urge. Kurosaki had to be in school and he'd be pissed if he got the backwash and ended up with an erection in class.

Stepping out of the shower he dried off before pulling his clothes back on. It was time to act on his knowledge. He'd read Aizen's dossier on Urahara Kisuke before he left and it had been extremely informative. Grimmjow wasn't entirely looking forward to what he planned to do, but there was very little choice.

Leaving the house through the window he made his way to the candy shop, concealing his reiatsu. He felt the kido wards on the place and was sure he would be detected. Sure enough, the 'shopkeeper' materialized before he could even get inside. Grimmjow stopped, his hands in his pockets as he gave the blonde haired man a cocky smile. Then he glanced him over in a casual, assessing way.

_Not bad. This might be fun._ Although appearance would have been the last thing he looked for in a mark, way back when. He lifted his gaze again and saw Kisuke was smiling pleasantly at him. The expression didn't fool the arrancar for a moment.

"Is there something I can do for you, Grimmjow-san?" The shopkeeper said pleasantly and Grimmjow chuckled, a soft, feline rumble.

"It's more like what I can do for you. I have a deal to make." He said and the ex-shinigami tilted his head inquiringly. "I need to stay in the Living World for about a year, give or take. I need a gigai and something to conceal my reiatsu." He could do a pretty good job on his own, but sooner or later someone was bound to stumble over him. And he really didn't want to be bored to death, hanging out in Kurosaki's room all day.

"Interesting! But why do you need to stay here for a year?" He asked and Grimmjow hesitated. That was a sticky question although he'd definitely anticipated it.

"You wonder how Kurosaki suddenly got so powerful at the end there?" He asked and Kisuke blinked at him. "That was me. I fed him my power. But it's going to take a year for the connection to run out and until it does, we have to be in the same world. And since Karakura town has a high enough reishi environment for me to make pills, I have to stay here." Theoretically he could just wander around, leave Ichigo completely alone. But the mating bond ran both ways and it might be prudent for Grimmjow to keep an eye on the shinigami. "But I'd rather not hide in the woods all year so…" He shrugged and Urahara nodded slowly.

"Interesting. But how exactly did you lend your power to Ichigo?" He asked and Grimmjow just stared at him. He might not give a damn who knew, but Kurosaki sure as hell wouldn't want it spread around. Kisuke held his stare for a long moment before exhaling slowly and the arrancar wondered if he knew anything about mating bonds. "I see… and what will you give me in return?"

"Aizen had dossier's on all his enemies, you know." Grimmjow said, grinning wickedly. "His one on you said you're a bit of a pervert." He took a step towards the other man but kept his hands away from his sword. To another hollow, his stare and posture would scream of lust. He didn't really feel it yet but he was getting there. Urahara tilted his hat back a bit, looking at him wide eyed. "Also said you like guys. It's been a while since I traded my favours but you're not bad looking. Interested?" He asked with a deep, seductive smile. He knew all the tricks, although not from his time as a hollow. No, this shit came from his life as a living man.

"Er… uh… I…" Kisuke stammered and Grimmjow sighed to himself. Wasn't this guy supposed to be a pervert? He was acting more like a virgin. "I – I really would prefer to examine you!" He managed to say with a manic smile and Grimmjow scowled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I would rather fuck you." He said bluntly. Not that Urahara was THAT attractive, he'd just met the guy, but… "Your dossier also says you're a bit of a mad scientist. Got enough of that, thanks." Szayel had been such a goddamned freak. "Why don't I give you some time to think it over?" He suggested. Clearly Urahara didn't get approached with an offer of carnal trade every day. The shinigami swallowed hard and nodded.

"Perhaps that would be for the best. Could you come by tomorrow?" He said faintly and Grimmjow nodded.

"Sure." That would give the shinigami some time to mull over his offer. Grimmjow walked away, taking care to make it as confident and sexy as possible.

He was sure the shinigami would come around.

* * *

"Ugh, another one?" Ichigo groaned as he looked at his soaked underwear. Wet dreams happened, of course. But usually not with such alarming frequency. "And why Kisuke of all people?" His dreams were featuring the shopkeeper very prominently, which he thought was just disturbing. Why would he be thinking of Urahara that way?

_Fuck them both._ His hollow muttered and Ichigo paused as he sat up, frowning. His hollow had been sulking for the past couple days, as well. He hadn't cared much since it meant the white psychopath was leaving him alone but… why?

"Fuck who?" He said neutrally as he began cleaning up.

_Grimmjow and Kisuke, that's who!_ His hollow snapped back and Ichigo almost dropped the blankets. _Are you thick? Why the hell do you think you would be dreaming about that creep? Your mate is straying!_ The hollow sounded extremely annoyed and Ichigo stared at the wall in shock. _…But we're not really mates so we can't REALLY complain, but my instincts say we should gut Urahara and give Grimm a spanking… agh! Why? Why did he do this to us?_

"Wait. Grimmjow and URAHARA?" That… was really hard to get his mind around. "Why would he be doing that?" Ichigo asked, flabberghasted. He couldn't imagine Grimmjow was really attracted to the shopkeeper. Which meant… what?

_Probably a trade for something._ His hollow said and Ichigo swallowed hard as he digested that. Was he serious? _What else do you think hollows have to trade? Sex is damn near the only currency in Hueco Mundo._

"Uh, right." Ichigo muttered as he took his blankets to the washing machine. "That explains why he hadn't been by lately." Grimmjow had stayed in his closet a few times but not for the past couple days. "He must be staying at Urahara's." After a bit of thought he decided he was fine with that. It kept the Espada away from him. Sure, the wet dreams were annoying and a bit creepy but it wasn't like they were harming anything.

His opinion on that abruptly changed later in the day. He was trying to do his homework when he heard a loud squall from downstairs. It sounded like Karin, yelling? Putting aside his books with a sigh Ichigo went down the stairs to see what was wrong. Really, what could be happening this time?

"DAD! I can't believe you said yes without even TELLING us!" She sounded furious and Yuzu was running around like a bumblebee, trying to clean everything.

"Oh Ichi-nii, please help me! The house is a disaster!" She sounded distraught and he glanced around. It looked okay to him although not up to her 'company is coming' standards. "He's going to be arriving in an hour!"

"Wait, who?" Ichigo asked, trying to figure out what was going on. "Karin?" Goat-face had started crying loudly and extravagantly, until she kicked him and stomped on his back.

"We're going to be hosting an exchange student! He just said yes without even telling us and the guy is coming in TODAY!" Karin snapped and Ichigo stared at her before glaring at his father. Had he completely lost his mind?

"He's a good boy and his uncle is a good friend of mine! Oh please be hospitable my daughters!" Isshin implored them and Yuzu just kept working frantically as Karin growled. Ichigo rubbed his face, feeling like the world was getting more insane by the day. First Grimmjow and now this?

"What do you need me to do, Yuzu?" He asked and she gladly directed him. Soon they were all working to make the house spotless. "An hour dad? Are you insane? You should have told us about this days ago!" Then Yuzu would have had everything in order for their visitor. His dad looked wounded.

"He's going to be staying for a year. There's no real point to making the house perfect." He said with reasonably good logic. It didn't cut any ice with Yuzu and Karin, though.

"We still don't want him to think we're slobs. And do we have enough for supper?" Ichigo doubted it and Yuzu looked almost ready to cry. But Karin just snorted.

"Order us some pizza, Goat-face." She ordered her father. Isshin brightened at the thought.

"Yes, pizza! He's British, I'm sure he'll like it." He said and Ichigo couldn't really follow that. British people liked pizza? He supposed they did but it wasn't like it was a British food… wasn't that things like toad in the hole and bangers and mash? Putting that aside he got all the dishes put away and started cleaning off the windows as Karin and Yuzu straightened the living room. Then the doorbell rang and he went to answer.

"Hello." He said, a touch gruffly. It wasn't this stranger's fault but… "…You." Brown eyes met bright blue and the stranger… no, not a stranger, even with the grey hair he was entirely too familiar… held out a hand with a smile.

"Hello there. I'm William Blutt." He said, his voice a warm purr with just a hint of an accent. That hint had never been there before and Ichigo vaguely wondered how he'd mastered it so quickly. "You can call me Will or William, but never Bill."

"You…!" Ichigo grabbed his collar and was about to do something violent when he realized his sisters and his father were watching. And the last thing in the world he wanted was to explain how he knew this jackass. "Will you… come in." He managed to choke out the words. Grimmjow's smile widened into a grin as he stepped inside. "I am going to kill Kisuke." He said under his breath. Now he knew who dads 'friend' was. Was Grimmjow actually going to go to school? This was horrifying.

To his further horror, Grimmjow immediately started to charm the socks off his family. It seemed that when he wasn't being mindlessly aggressive, the Espada had a silver tongue and the mind to use it. He deftly complimented Yuzu's housekeeping and put a glowering Karin at ease. The only person he couldn't soothe was Ichigo, but that went without saying. He didn't trust the arrancar as far as he could throw him!

Ichigo suffered through the rest of the evening in sullen silence, occasionally glowering at his rapist. Grimmjow ignored him easily, just concentrating on getting along with his family. Fortunately no one seemed to notice or care about his sullen silence. Finally, after supper was done he got a chance to corner the Espada.

"What the hell is the big idea?" He snarled at him as Grimmjow set down a bag in the guest room, glancing around. "And why is your hair grey?" Sure, it was a step up from blue but it was still odd. Grimmjow reached up and fluffed his hair. It was still in his usual style.

"For your information, shinigami, this was my hair color when I was alive." He said and Ichigo blinked. But Grimmjow could have died at an advanced age, so maybe he'd gone grey with time. "And I don't want to spend the year hanging around your closet. I just wanted a gigai but Kisuke came up with this idea so I could learn a bit about the Living World. Something about proving a point, I don't know." He shrugged and Ichigo frowned, wondering what that meant. He was going to have to corner Urahara and get the full story out of him and soon. Also, find out what the hell he thinking, accepting Grimmjow's 'bargain'.

_Oh come on King, he's hot as hell. And from all those wet dreams you've been having, Kisuke's getting more action than he's probably had in his whole life!_ The hollow sounded amused but still a little annoyed and Ichigo did his best to ignore it.

"You can't seriously be planning to go to school." He said and Grimmjow just shrugged as he started putting away his clothing. "Oi! Don't ignore me!" This was starting to piss him off. Grimmjow flicked him a glance.

"Actually, yeah, I am planning to go to school. I won't be in your grade though." He said and Ichigo frowned. What did he…? "Kisuke is getting me tutors and whatnot, and I have a grab bag of information in my skull. But he doesn't think I'm going to be good for your grade level for a while, so I'm officially fifteen."

"What!" Ichigo stared at him. That was… "No one is going to believe you're fifteen." Grimmjow's gigai matched his physical body perfectly. He looked at least twenty. The other man flicked him a quick smile.

"I have a birth certificate to prove it." He said with a small laugh and Ichigo just scowled, resting a hand against the doorframe. "Besides, weren't you like sixteen the first time we fought? Sticks and stones Ichigo."

"I still look younger than you!" He snapped back, which was true. Put them side by side and almost anyone would say Grimmjow was older. The Espada just shrugged before finishing putting things away. "And why the hell are you fucking with Kisuke?" He asked harshly and Grimmjow suddenly grinned, stepping towards him. Ichigo stepped back involuntarily before stopping with a scowl.

"What, you jealous?" He asked playfully and Ichigo's scowl deepened. As if! "I bet your hollow is. Sorry about the wet dreams, I can't stop the backwash." He shrugged, shoulders moving under his sweater. It was black and red, heavy and knitted. "I've been refraining from midday sex, just for you." Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he heard his hollow titter. The white psychopath seemed to think that was funny but he didn't.

"Just leave me alone. And if you hurt my family, I'll kill you. I couldn't care about the mating bond." He said harshly and Grimmjow just sighed, stepping back. For a moment his eyes seemed old and tired. Ichigo suddenly wondered about his age. How old was the arrancar, really?

"Hurting them is the last thing on my mind. I'll go back to Hueco Mundo... excuse me, England in a year and we'll get on until then. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a bargain to keep." He said before pushing past Ichigo. He was tempted to stop the Espada and even reached out, but then stopped himself. It wasn't jealousy but he didn't like that Grimmjow was prostituting himself to Kisuke. But they were both consenting adults. He really didn't have any ground to stand on and it wasn't like he cared about the arrancar… Ichigo stared after Grimmjow as he left, feeling unhappy, irritated and angry. It wasn't a good feeling and left him a bit confused.

"Why do I care?" Sighing, he turned away. He still had his homework to do. "It must be the mating bond." That was the only explanation.

And if it wasn't, he would blame it anyway.


	4. Chapter 4

"Damn." Ichigo glanced up with a frown. Grimmjow was lying on the floor of his room, chewing on the end of his pencil. "Can you help me out a bit with this? Math is fucking hard." He said and Ichigo sighed, putting aside his book and going to see what was bothering the arrancar. The problem was actually rather difficult and he worked the man through every step, making sure he understood before going back to his novel.

"Why are you hanging out in my room, anyway?" He asked. Grimmjow had been put up in Rukia's old room, which was equipped with a bed and a desk. The Espada flicked him a glance.

"It makes me feel good to be around you." He said briefly and Ichigo wanted to kill him. "Oi, stop glaring. You feel the same way too, even if you don't want to admit it. Instincts."

_He's right King. There's a reason no one would ever use a mating bond this way… it's fucking with our instincts, big time._ His hollow muttered. _And I'm getting the worst of it so stop being a bitch._ That sounded really peeved and Ichigo tried to go back to his book. He hated to admit it, but having Grimmjow in the room did make him feel more relaxed. When he was out of sight it was like… like he was missing something important, something he couldn't afford to lose.

"Of course, the other reason is because you can help me with this." Grimmjow said casually and Ichigo considered throwing the book at his head. He didn't want to be the arrancar's tutor! "What are you reading?" He asked absently and Ichigo grimaced. He hated it when people asked him that while he was trying to read.

"Shakespeare." He said shortly before trying to concentrate. He really wanted to –

"He was a fucking dick!" Ichigo looked up, startled, to see Grimmjow sitting up and glaring at him. "Why the hell would you read anything that fucker wrote? What is it, a fucking broadsheet?"

"What?" He asked blankly before he abruptly understood. "Wait, you KNEW Shakespeare?!" He asked, stunned. Plenty of shinigami were old enough to have known him but they were culture snobs. While shinigami covered the entire world, they largely had no interest in the people they visited. Grimmjow's glare intensified.

"Knew him? He broke my fucking nose!" He snarled and Ichigo vaguely noticed that his accent was becoming far more intense. So the arrancar hadn't learned that way of speaking, he'd just stopped suppressing it? "And he hit my woman and threatened to have his goons break my arms if he ever saw us around again. Motherfucker!" Grimmjow sounded incensed just remembering. "Seriously, what the hell are you reading? That fucker was barely literate." He suddenly moved and Ichigo recoiled, trying to keep the book away from him. "King Lear… are you fucking serious?"

"What's wrong with King Lear?" He asked, struggling to process all of this. Grimmjow had lived in England and he'd actually met Shakespeare, the greatest literary figure of all time? The Espada gave him a scowl before yanking the book away. "HEY!" He tried to grab it back but the arrancar dodged, glaring at the cover.

"You seriously think Shakespeare wrote this?" He asked and Ichigo stared, shocked. "He wrote the fucking advertisements for it! It was the fucking Earl of Oxford who wrote the fucking play! Shakespeare was a fucking hick! The Earl just used his name because the theatre is a fucking disgrace, nothing a nob could get involved with. You seriously think he wrote this?"

"Can you calm it down with the fucks?" Ichigo asked, glancing at the door. His dad wouldn't like it if he heard that kind of language. "If Shakespeare didn't write it, why is his name on it?" He asked, stalling for time. He wasn't sure he believed any of this. On the other hand, why would Grimmjow lie about something like this? The arrancar snorted, tossing the book back.

"I told you, it would have ruined the Earl's reputation if it got out that he was writing for the theatre." Grimmjow closed his eyes for a moment, clearly getting a grip on himself. When he spoke again his accent was almost non-existent. "Sorry. Seeing that name pulled out my primary personality strongly there. Hundreds of years and still carrying a grudge, hah." Grimmjow managed a smile and Ichigo smiled back, without thinking. Then he looked at the book in his hands.

"Grimmjow, what was the theatre like? What was England like?" He suddenly asked. He wasn't sure he believed the arrancar about Shakespeare, but this was still like seeing a fragment of history. What stories could the hollows of Hueco Mundo tell? Grimmjow laid back down on the floor, going back to his homework.

"Dirty." He said shortly as he began to puzzle out the next math problem. "London was the armpit of the universe. Edinburgh was the asshole." He added and Ichigo choked. "Not that I ever saw that, but my woman did. She was a scot, came to London when things got a bit too hot for her. As for the theatre, I didn't get to see it. Broke like always… we tried to sneak in when the Globe was still all new and shiny, but Shakespeare caught us at it and took exception. Avaricious bastard. Probably would have charged a man for raping his wife." Ichigo felt a moment of violent disgust and Grimmjow looked up, surprised, as the feeling hit him. "…Oh. Sorry." He sounded genuinely apologetic but Ichigo just shook his head.

"It's fine. Tell me more." He was determined to get what he could out of this. It wasn't every day he spoke to someone who had met Shakespeare in person. Grimmjow frowned and began to describe his everyday life in Victorian England as Ichigo listened intently.

"I suppose I should start with myself. William Blutt is my name, the one I was born with. My father was a common laborer and my mother was a homemaker. We didn't have much but we got by, until he died in the factory. They didn't give a fig about worker safety back then and some piece of equipment turned him to so much mangled meat." Grimmjow said and Ichigo swallowed. "We lost the house quickly enough and mother died not long after that. She just couldn't survive in the streets. But I was a tough little bastard and I could manage it. I think I was, mm, twelve when this happened? Not really a child."

"I decided that I wasn't going to follow in my father's footsteps. No, I wanted something better for myself than working in a factory, cut off from the daylight and slaving away for a pittance. Not that I really got much more." Grimmjow smiled slightly as he remembered. "I was a trickster, a shyster. I've got a gift for gab, I'm sure you've noticed." Ichigo nodded although what he was noticing right now was that Grimmjow's accent was coming back. "And a gift for using my fists, too. Most of the time I made my living swindling fools. A lot of men learned that no one sells a diamond ring for a few shillings." Grimmjow sounded amused. "And other little dodges. Sometimes, I was an extortionist."

"Wait, an extortionist? I don't understand." Ichigo interrupted and Grimmjow paused, a bit confused.

"You know… shove a blade in someone's back and demand their purse?" He said and Ichigo winced.

"We call that mugging and people who do it are muggers." He told the Espada and Grimmjow shrugged.

"Alright, I was a mugger. And after I met Mary, we added a bit of prostitution to that." He said and Ichigo bit his lip. So that was why the arrancar had been so willing to trade his favors to Kisuke. "That was my woman. Lovely girl, flame red hair and eyes of green… she was beautiful and I worshipped her. Couldn't stomach the thought of being a pimp so when times got really bad, we sold ourselves as a set. It was safer for her anyway, having me there." Grimmjow looked at his math book, frowning at a particularly difficult problem. "But you wanted to know more about the city, didn't you? It was grim and dirty and ugly. Never realized how dirty it was until I saw this place. We didn't have toilets, you understand. Chamberpots and you dumped them in the street. Filth everywhere. We lived in the worst part of town so there were whores, beggers, pimps and tots starving in the streets." He said plainly and Ichigo nodded. He wasn't too surprised, really. "I can't really tell you much else. Didn't get to see the play, thanks to fucking Shakespeare."

"Oh." Ichigo sighed, vaguely wishing Grimmjow knew more. The picture he'd already painted was ugly. He wondered for a moment how he'd died but then decided he didn't want to know. That was probably ugly as well. "Well, I don't really care who wrote King Lear. It's an excellent play. Maybe I'll take you to see it sometime." He said without thinking and Grimmjow looked up, startled.

"…I'd kind of like that. Although I'd prefer a Midsummer's Night's Dream, that was the one we tried to sneak into." He said and Ichigo nodded before going back to his book. Although he wondered why he'd made that offer. Maybe because it seemed so wrong that someone who'd lived at the same time as Shakespeare had never gotten to see his plays. Not that he had much compassion for Grimmjow. He sounded like he'd been a thug.

Pretty much the same as he was now, really.

* * *

Pantera shifted in a combination of discomfort and pain.

He'd been spending most of his time lately monitoring the feelings coming through the mating bond. The self-imposed duty was becoming actively painful. Who could have imagined a young man could carry so much negativity around? The zanpakuto had honestly never experienced anything like it.

Grimmjow could be very negative, of course. For a while after Aizen's betrayal and Gin's revelations, his inner world had become a wasteland. Gradually, though, it had recovered. The place Pantera lived was a beautiful mountain forest, completely at odds with Grimmjow's life as a living man. But not really. Pantera knew that deep in his heart his master had always longed for true freedom. The forest was true to his nature.

The feelings he was sensing from Kurosaki Ichigo made Pantera wonder what his inner world would be like. It was an interesting question. There was a great deal of negativity towards Grimmjow of course, but that was expected. However, there was also just a huge amount of general negativity radiating off the teen. It seemed like he lived in a constant state of being mildly unhappy. That was quite a contrast from Grimmjow. His natural state was to be cheerful about something.

"They really don't seem very compatible." Pantera murmured before sighing softly. Although, Kurosaki would need someone who could lift him out of his constant depression. How could his master do that, though? "I wonder…" Pantera turned an idea over in his mind. He'd been considering it for a while. Maybe now was the time.

The mating bond had some very interesting effects and Pantera used one of them, sliding his way from one inner world to another. As he materialized in Ichigo's inner world the hollow zanpakuto looked around, wide eyed with wonder and a bit of dismay.

"An underwater world?" He'd never seen the like. A furry blue tail flicked and Pantera shivered slightly as he saw his long hair floating in the air. "It's cold." It was also rather dark. It was like they were deep under the water, with only a bit of light filtering through to the ground. The buildings looked like Karakura town. "…Hm…" Pantera launched himself off the roof of the building, swimming through the water a touch awkwardly. Grimmjow only knew how to dog paddle and Pantera's knowledge was just as limited.

"Whaddaya think of that, Zangetsu?" Ichigo's inner hollow asked, watching the intruder with interest. "Shit he's cute." He'd thought that Grimmjow was hot but this guy was hot to the nth degree. His hair was long and flowing, a gorgeous sky blue. His ears were long and fluffy, green furred on top and blue below, and the green led to markings beside his eyes. His body was mostly feline, what little they could see of it. He was wearing a soft white robe that mostly hid his body except for tantalizing peeks. And his face… The hollow smiled as he got a good look at his face. He looked like a younger, sweeter version of Grimmjow. Right now he was looking at Ichigo's inner world with innocent wonder.

"He must be Pantera." Zangetsu said, regarding the foreign zanpakuto with a small frown. The hollow knew what he was thinking. Zangetsu did not approve of Ichigo's half-formed plans in the least, littlest bit. Since his King had come up with them the atmosphere in here had darkened slightly. Of course, the hollow didn't much care. It was all the same to him really.

"Well, well. Hasn't he heard…" The hollow reached over his shoulder and gripped the hilt of his sword, grinning wickedly. "That curiosity killed the cat?" He launched himself off the building with a laugh and Zangetsu just watched as the hollow came up behind Pantera. Grimmjow's zanpakuto appeared to be looking the other way, completely oblivious.

But appearances were deceptive. The zanpakuto turned in a lightning fast move just as the hollow closed in, and claws clashed against Zangetsu's blade. Pantera grinned, showing off his sharp fangs as he beheld the startled, white version of Kurosaki Ichigo. Then he attacked, the robe parting in paces to reveal pale skin and blue fur. Wickedly sharp claws slashed through a white shihakushdo, staining the cloth with blood. Ichigo's hollow leapt away, surprised and Pantera laughed. The tone was higher than Grimmjow's voice, light and somehow younger.

"You must be Ichigo's zanpakuto. Greetings, I am Pantera." He said confidently then blinked as the one across from him suddenly laughed. "Huh?" That was unexpected. The white Ichigo grinned at him. The expression seemed more than a little insane.

"As if! Zangetsu's such a drag. I'm a lot more interesting than him." He said mockingly ,resting his sword over his shoulder. Pantera tilted his head to one side before things clicked.

"Oh! You're his inner hollow." He said and the hollow applauded him mockingly. Pantera flicked his ears, more amused than anything. "I was looking for you." Really, his idea had more to do with the hollow than it did the zanpakuto. He'd met a shinigami zanpakuto only once before but he assumed they would be rather stuffy about such things. The hollow gave him a narrow eyed look.

"Oh yeah? What do you want with me?" He asked and to his surprise, Pantera actually blushed a little. The panther looked down for a moment before giving him a shy glance through thick blue eyelashes.

"Well." He said, fiddling with the ties to his robes. "It just occurred to me that the mating bond must be bothering you… and there's really no reason we have to follow our masters' lead." He said and the hollow began to grin. "My master is being very hands off, while yours seems rather hostile, but we don't have to be like that… do we?" Pantera said, hoping this would work. It wasn't just that he was horny – he was – but he wanted to make peace with the other hollow. Maybe that would help to defuse the tension between his master and Ichigo.

"Huh." The hollow was in front of him then, so close it was almost terrifying. But Pantera didn't even blink, meeting those black and gold eyes fearlessly as the hollow gripped his chin, turning his face to the side. "Interesting. Grimm might have let us ride him, but he's a dominant bastard. You though… you're a pretty little uke, aren't you?" Pantera blushed and nodded slightly as the hollow let go of his chin. "Tell me. Did Grimmjow let Aizen fuck him? Or did he fuck Aizen?" The hollow asked, his voice full of insinuations. Pantera swallowed hard before responding.

"Aizen fucked him. He was so much more powerful… there's nothing wrong in submitting to a greater power." He said, his voice husky. He knew that would resonate with the other hollow on many levels. Sure enough, his grin widened and he dropped his sword, letting it fall onto the roof of the building below them. The he gripped Pantera's robes, dragging him down to the same building.

"That so? Well, I expect to see a bit of submission then… Pantera." The hollow whispered, his voice a malign purr. Pantera shuddered in desire at the tone and lifted his chin, baring his throat for the stronger. Blunt teeth found pale skin, biting down and leaving marks. "By the way, you can call me Shiro."

"Shiro." Pantera murmured the name, rolling his hips against the other. His robes were so easy to open, they just slipped away, revealing his body. Then his hips were gripped and he was surprised as the hollow flipped him onto his stomach. He started to push himself up onto his hands and knees then yelped as he was shoved down roughly.

"Uh uh." The hollow sang behind him and Pantera shivered as he felt a hand on his ass. Then he yelped again as he felt a stinging pain and heard a ringing slap. "This is for fucking Kisuke." Another slap. Pantera yelped, then whined, his ears flat against his hair. It hurt but… was he supposed to be getting turned on by this? "You're a little whore, aren't you?" Another slap. Pantera panted helplessly, painfully aware of his erection rubbing against the ground. "You like it, don't you? Tell me how much you like it." Another slap. Pantera whined, tossing his head back.

"Yes, I – I do! More, please!" He begged and there was an echoing laugh followed by another smack. Then warm hands were gripping his rosy ass, exploring the overheated skin. "Nnn, ah!" Pantera gasped as fingers began invading him, parting his legs and exploring his insides. He tried to push himself up again and this time Shiro let him, let him go to his hands and knees. "Oh…" Pantera moaned as a white hand encircled his balls, slowly squeezing and teasing them as fingers toyed with his insides.

"So responsive. I bet you don't get much more action than I do… this is going to be my first time." The hollow murmured, which didn't surprise Pantera much. He'd managed to visit Aizen's zanpakuto once but it had just been rather boring. She hadn't been the least bit interested.

"My first time too… really…" Pantera said, gasping as those fingers kept stretching him out. He'd shared in Grimmjow's matings, of course, but it wasn't really the same as doing it himself. Shiro no doubt felt the same. The fingers vanished then and were replaced with something much larger. Pantera yelped sharply as he felt Shiro sliding into his virgin passage. "Oh!" The panther gasped as a white hand slid around his cock, playing with his erection as the owner of that hand laughed.

"Shit, you feel so fucking tight." The hollow groaned, giving him a moment to adjust before pulling out and pounding back in, hard. Pantera yowled, the sound of a cat mating bouncing off the walls of the inner world. "Yeah! Scream louder! Wake up King… fucker… hahaha!" The hollow cackled madly as he set a punishing pace, ramming into Pantera with all his not inconsiderable strength. A blue tail slid around his waist, fur rubbing against skin as the zanpakuto beneath him howled again and again.

The water above them was churning but neither of them cared. All that mattered was the raw, animal sex, the power and passion between them. Pantera's cheeks were rosy, his breath coming in heavy pants as a bit of saliva ran down his chin, unnoticed and disregarded. Shiro was equally intent on the act, his black and gold eyes narrowed and his breath coming in quick gasps. He gripped the base of Pantera's tail, yanking him back as he slammed in even harder, trying to claim the zanpakuto from the inside out. Pantera howled, tossing his head back. Blue hair flew around them both and Shiro lowered his head, letting his white hair mingle with those blue strands.

It didn't last long but it wasn't really meant to. Shiro knew he was acting on borrowed time and Pantera didn't care, simply experiencing the moment. Shiro snarled, a guttural, hollow sound and thrust in harder and faster, feeling his orgasm quickly coming. But he was determined to make the weaker male cum first and he wrapped his hand around Pantera's weeping erection, jerking him off with brutal efficiency. The zanpakuto screamed a final time before releasing, his whole body spasming with the force of it, his cum coating Shiro's hand and the ground under them. The inner hollow grinned and kept moving, finding his own release a few strokes later.

The moment of pleasure came at precisely the right time. As soon as the spasms were over someone familiar and unwelcome appeared. The Horse looked at his King with a cocky grin as Pantera froze, taking on a deer in the headlights expression. To Shiro, the shock, anger and near horror on Ichigo's face was truly priceless.

"Hi King. Had another wet dream tonight?" Shiro asked as Ichigo just stared at them. Then Pantera squeaked, looking frantically for his robe. This wasn't what he'd imagined at all… but he'd forgotten that Ichigo would sense what his hollow was doing.

"You…!" That was all Pantera heard before blade clashed against blade. Shiro was laughing as the zanpakuto frantically found his clothing and fled the chaos he had caused.

He didn't know what the repercussions of this would be but he didn't think it would be good.


	5. Chapter 5

Grimmjow was sleeping peacefully in his room. He didn't like to admit it and certainly wouldn't to Kurosaki, but having his 'mate' close by signalled to his instincts that he was in a safe place. That made sleeping easy and right now he was dreaming of the game he'd discovered on his computer, something called 'Tetris'. The little blocks were so enthralling…

Then he was rudely awakened from dreams of blocks fitting into place by hands on his collar. He was wearing pajamas and Grimmjow yelped as he was yanked up, his sleep shattering like glass.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Kurosaki spat, right in his face and Grimmjow just stared. Those brown eyes were narrowed with anger and hostility but he honestly couldn't think of a single, solitary thing he'd done to cause this. "Haven't you molested me enough? Stop it, you disgusting pervert!"

"Huh?" To say he was baffled was an understatement. "What the fuck are you going on about, Kurosaki? And let go, will ya?" This was mildly uncomfortable, although mostly because Ichigo was so close. Even with all the regular sex he was getting with Kisuke, the mating bond exerted a powerful attraction. Ichigo scowled and let go of his collar, but only to plant a hand beside his head and lean in close. Grimmjow vaguely noted that his breath smelled like mint.

"Keep your zanpakuto out of my head!" He hissed and Grimmjow's eyes widened before he reached for Pantera. To his surprise and anger, he could feel his zanpakuto cowering in terror.

"OI! What did you do to Pantera?!" He suddenly shoved Ichigo off of him and grabbed his sword out from under the bed. "What happened? Are you okay?" He demanded, running his hand along the blade comfortingly.

_I'm fine master._ Pantera said bravely but Grimmjow scowled at the quaver in his voice. _Really I am! It was just a bit frightening._ Ichigo in a rage had definitely been something he didn't want to see again.

"What I did? What about what HE did?" Ichigo halfway shouted and Grimmjow snarled. "Coming into my inner world and molesting my hollow!" That made the Espada scowl in black anger. The thought of Pantera molesting anyone was laughable. Kurosaki clearly didn't know a fucking thing about the other half of his soul.

"OI! Stop being mean to Pantera!" He snapped and Ichigo stopped, staring at him. "He's a fucking sweetheart! He's my, my gentle side or some shit! So don't you go being mean to him!" The soul reaper had a look of utter disbelief on his face but Grimmjow ignored it. "And as for molesting, isn't your hollow a goddamned adult? Or is he a little kid or some shit?" He growled and Kurosaki scowled. "Consenting adults, motherfucker."

"He's half of my soul! Half of your soul and half of my soul were screwing in MY inner world!" Ichigo snapped and Grimmjow suddenly grinned. That sounded… pretty funny, actually. "And wipe that stupid grin off your face!"

"Oi, calm down soul reaper. I know what the problem is now." He slid Pantera back under the bed before standing in a sinuous motion. The pajamas were not sexy at all so he peeled away the top, revealing his gigai. It was a faithful reproduction of his real body, complete with scar. "You're sexually frustrated. I can help you out with that." He said confidently and had the pleasure of seeing Kurosaki gaping at him like a goldfish.

"Wh-wh-WHAT? Are you crazy?" He stuttered out and Grimmjow laughed, moving towards him with a slow, confident stride. The shinigami took one step back before stopping with a scowl. That put them very, very close together.

"Not crazy, just insane." He breathed and saw Ichigo's adam's apple bob as he swallowed. The soul reaper was trying to put on a good front but it wasn't really working too well. "Ah, of course you're sexually frustrated. You're getting the backwash from me and Kisuke all the time… the tension created by the mating bond… and now Pantera and your hollow, getting it on. Was it a good dream for you? Dreams can become reality, you know." He said, his voice heavy with promises. Ichigo's breath was coming faster now and Grimmjow could practically smell his arousal. It was possible to see, too, those sweat pants didn't do much to hide it. "Wet dreams just aren't enough…" He rested a hand on Kurosaki's chest and the teen's eyes suddenly widened with something like terror.

"NO!" Ichigo shoved him away and ran, stumbling out the door and slamming it after him. Grimmjow stared at the closed door and laughed. It was a rich, amused and a touch wicked sound.

He was dead on the money and sooner or later, Kurosaki would come to him.

* * *

_Well, that went really well._

"Shut up!" Ichigo ran his hands through his hair, pulling on the strands. "That sadistic son of a bitch!" He felt sick, disgusted with himself and infuriated with Grimmjow. "I'm going to kill him." He made that vow with grim intent. He _was_ going to kill the bastard, when this was finally over. He felt Zangetsu's dismay again but he didn't care. How dare Grimmjow touch him like that?

_How dare he be right!_ His hollow said with mock horror and Ichigo's eyes narrowed. _How dare he mention that the mating bond is totally fucking with you! How horrible of him, to tell you the truth!_

"Shut. Up!" But as much as he tried to stop it his mind went back to how he'd felt when Grimmjow touched him. The arrancar had been so close that he'd been able to smell his breath. It had smelled like toothpaste but beneath that there was something wild and musky, faintly tinged with old blood. And he couldn't deny how his body had betrayed him, as that lean, muscled form got oh so close to him.

_You know, you should pin him to the bed and fuck all the tension away._ His hollow suggested, sending him a few lewd images of a panting, gasping Pantera. _You might have to fight him for the top but I bet you could put him in his place. Imagine having him under you, quivering as you shove in so hard he –_

"No!" Ichigo exploded, struggling to contain his reaction. This was just so _wrong!_ "I don't want him! He's the egotistical asshole who raped me! Stop it, you, you fucking jackass!" He snarled at his hollow who tittered madly. Zangetsu finally spoke.

_Ichigo, calm down. Take deep, slow breaths._ Zangetsu suggested and Ichigo closed his eyes, trying to obey. _Now, approach this logically. Are your hollow and Grimmjow correct? Is the mating bond adversely affecting you?_

"…Yes." He muttered although he didn't want to admit it. Yet, it was simply the truth. He was a teenager, hormones were expected, but this was going well beyond normal. He was struggling to concentrate all the time. It was getting hard to do his homework with Grimmjow in the room but at the same time, he didn't want the arrancar to leave. The mating bond really was an enormous pain in the ass. "But what can I do about it?" He asked as he flopped back down on his bed with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. This wasn't how his life was supposed to go…

_You have several beautiful women in your life._ Zangetsu pointed out and Ichigo blinked. _You could strike up a romantic interest in them._

"…The problem with that is the time involved." He said slowly. "Orihime… I could never just use her, Jii-san." And if he had sex with Orihime there would be all kinds of strings attached. "Tatsuki… I just couldn't." He thought of her more as a sister than anything. "Yoruichi… ugh. EVERYONE would know." She could keep her mouth shut, but would she? Not a chance. He could just picture Kisuke leering at him in a knowing way. Zangetsu mulled it over as his hollow piped up.

_Well, you've got some savings. You could always hire – OW! Zangetsu!_ The hollow's voice went muffled and Ichigo was extremely grateful.

"Thanks Jii-san. And that's disgusting." He said to his hollow severely. It mumbled something about prissy humans before speaking clearly again.

_Then fuck Grimmjow. He won't say no, the bond is bothering him too._ He said and Ichigo scowled, really thinking about it. His mind went back to the mating claim with a feeling of disgust but… he couldn't deny how good it had felt. Like having his body stroked from the inside out, an almost unbearable pleasure that had seared through every nerve. _It won't feel like that of course. Or rather, it could, but then you'd have renewed the mating claim._ His hollow cautioned and Ichigo grimaced at the thought.

"I'd rather not have him here forever. I'll think about it." He finally said. He didn't need to make his decision tonight. He was NOT going to fuck Grimmjow right now, after the Espada had managed to completely infuriate him. Curling up in his bed, he tried to get to sleep.

Sexual issues or not, he still had school tomorrow.

* * *

Grimmjow whistled as he claimed his locker and put his bags away.

This was his first day of school and it was already going great. Not in a sarcastic way, either. No, he was honestly having fun. He'd gotten to annoy Kurosaki at the bus stop, say hello to his friends – they would probably be cornering the kid later – and piss off the bus driver. Although admittedly, that last had been an accident. He hadn't known that sitting down was mandatory.

"Greetings class! Please meet our new student, William Blutt. He's an exchange student from England." The teacher introduced him and Grimmjow nodded, glancing the class over. "Can you please tell us something about yourself, Will?" The woman asked with a smile and he blinked. He hadn't thought of that. But…

"I'm a cat person." He said, completely deadpan. His audience didn't get the joke, which was sort of a shame. Kurosaki would probably have snorted. "And I love treacle tarts and rolymops." A bunch of Japanese students would likely have no idea what he was talking about. Although maybe they would know rolymops, Japan was heavy on seafood. He doubted they were much into pickled herring wrapped around pickles, though. "I'm into boxing, too. That's about it." He added, by way of explaining his physique. He really didn't look fifteen. Although that one girl in the back didn't look fifteen either. Very nice boobs… he smiled as the teacher directed him to a seat and the lesson began.

After only a short while, he was very glad of all the tutoring Kisuke had given him. When he'd been alive, he'd been literate. His father had had hopes for his smart, talkative boy and had enrolled him in a local grammar school, despite the money it cost. Grimmjow knew that his father had hoped he might make a constable or a fire fighter, someday. They were both good jobs that paid well. Or perhaps even something grander, but he hadn't dared dream that high. Constable was good enough.

It hadn't happened, of course, and those dreams were long dead. Grammar school hadn't prepared him for modern high school but Kisuke's lessons and tutors had. His written Japanese had always been good so he could follow the lessons easily. There wasn't much talking during the lessons – no surprise, in grammar school the teachers were free with the rulers – but the other students got very talkative at lunch.

"Will, what was England like?" The girl with the nice tits asked. Her name was Risa and Grimmjow smiled at her, intending to make friends. She smiled back, a faint blush on her cheeks. Oh she liked him, he could tell. Not that he intended to do anything about it, his romantic plate was really choke full at the moment.

"Oh, it's a grand old city." He said easily. "Been around nearly forever, don't you know? My favorite spot was the Tower." That was an utter lie. He'd actually dreaded the Tower of London, it was a prime place to execute criminals. Although they usually reserved it for the hoity toity sort of criminals… things like high treason or someone the Queen or King had taken a dislike to. But it was one of the few landmarks he could really remember clearly. "The crows were massive things." All the better to clean up after the executioners.

"Tokyo has been around just as long." One of the boys said, clearly feeling a bit patriotic. Grimmjow just nodded.

"Longer. Tokyo dates back to two thousand BC, London was officially settled after the Roman invasion in forty-three AD." He said and grinned. "I was curious so I looked it up." He couldn't recall a single thing about Japanese history so he'd boned up on the subject. Although, strangely, he did have a few recollections of Soul Society history. Hints that he'd eaten a shinigami, perhaps.

"William." He looked up at the cool tone and saw Kurosaki. The look on his face was equally cool but polite enough. "I was wondering if you wanted to meet my friends? Since you're staying with me." He added to give the other kids a bit of an explanation. They were in different grade levels, this was hardly normal. Grimmjow hesitated before shrugging.

"Sure, I'd love to meet them." He said cheerfully before standing. His lunch was a bento box, easy enough to relocate. All of Ichigo's friends gave him stares of varying degrees of intensity as he took a seat. Orihime was looking particularly wide eyed and afraid. "Oi, chill out woman, someone will wonder what's wrong." He said in a low tone and she swallowed before managing a weak smile. "Yuzu makes great lunches." He said as he ate a… honestly, he wasn't sure what it was. But it tasted great.

"What are you doing here, arrancar?" The Quincy said and Grimmjow glanced at Ichigo, who avoided his gaze. So, the teen wasn't telling them much. From the looks of it they'd been grilling him, too.

"I'm seeing if I can fit into the Living World." He lied easily. It helped that it really wasn't much of a lie. Part of Kisuke's purpose in hosting him was to determine if the surviving arrancar could be given some kind of place in Soul Society. Grimmjow thought that was pretty much hopeless but he didn't care much. As long as it didn't involve physical exams, the shopkeeper could do what he pleased. "I'm going to stay for a year, for now. Maybe longer if I feel like it." That made Ichigo look over sharply, clearly wondering if he was lying or not. Well, he could go on guessing. The Quincy greeted that with skepticism.

"You would want to stay in the Living World?" He asked and Grimmjow hesitated a moment before really thinking about it. Did he want to stay in this place?

"Maybe. Hueco Mundo can be damned boring. You kind of have to make your own entertainment." That had been one of the huge plusses of having a fraccion. There was always someone to talk to and when they were all full and had no interest in hunting, they sometimes played games. Dicing had been a favorite and Grimmjow knew for a fact that Halibel and her girls had stolen packs of cards from Soul Society. The needs of vasto lorde could be a bit odd. "So… maybe. This is kind of a trial run."

"Why would Kisuke help you like this?" The Quincy was still suspicious and Grimmjow grinned widely as Ichigo turned red and looked away. "…Do I even want to know?" He'd caught Ichigo's embarrassed reaction.

"No. I wish I didn't." Ichigo mumbled and Grimmjow laughed, taking a deep swig of his juice. He didn't really love the sweet flavor though. Tomorrow he would pack straight water. Or maybe some tea. When he'd been alive it had been tea or small beer. The water in London could kill you and probably would.

He was just finished his meal when the bell rang and they had to all go back to their classes. His next class was math and Grimmjow fought through it, devoting every bit of his attention to the lesson. Math had always been his weak spot, in grammar school. Maybe he could rectify that. If he was going to stay in the Living World that might be important.

It was a big if, though. He would just have to wait and see.

* * *

"What's got your tights in a knot, shinigami?" Grimmjow asked from his place on the floor as he read his book. The book was actually amusing him even if the name on the cover did get on his tits. Ichigo was bothering him more, though. He was grumbling as he worked on something at his computer.

"I'm just trying to do a book report." He said, glaring at the screen balefully. "I don't know what she wants!" He rested his head on the keyboard for a moment, which made Grimmjow laugh.

"When in doubt, bullshit." He advised and Kurosaki turned to glare at him. "I'm serious, just make something up. It worked for me all the time."

"I'm not you." Ichigo grumbled before looking at the book in his hands. "What are you reading?" He asked and Grimmjow sighed, glancing down at his book.

"A piece of irony." He said before lifting it so Ichigo could see the cover. "A Midsummer's Night's Dream." He said with a slightly pained expression and the shinigami smiled, his eyes brightening with good humor. Grimmjow blinked, realizing this was actually the first time he'd seen the kid smile. It made him look… awfully cute actually.

"Well if you can't see it at least you can read it, right?" He said teasingly then frowned as he noticed something. "Grimm… I mean, Will." He corrected himself. He was trying to use the other name, to save themselves from a slip up. "Did you stroke out the author's name on that?"

"Yep. Don't like seeing the prick's name." He said absently, looking at the book again. "It's just pencil, I can take it off later." He didn't want to be charged for the book over something that stupid. Ichigo looked like he wanted to say something but just shook his head and turned back to his computer.

"Ichigo, William! Dinner!" Yuzu called and Grimmjow abandoned his book instantly. This whole real food thing was definitely starting to grow on him. It didn't do a thing for his real appetite, of course – he had the reishi pills for that – but the comforting tastes brought him back to days he'd almost forgotten about. He'd eaten a lot of fish in London, although it had mostly been fried and often on the manky side.

"Usually on the manky side." He muttered to himself as he took a seat at the table. To his amusement, the meal was baked fish. Not cod, he didn't recognize the fish at all, but it did bring him back a bit. "Delicious." He said after trying a bite. "You're a wonderful cook, Yuzu." He complimented her and she turned a little pink, smiling shyly. Ichigo just sighed before picking up his cup of miso soup and taking a sip. Grimmjow knew he didn't like that the arrancar was so popular with his sisters, but he wasn't going to stop. The shinigami could just get over it.

_It's been so long since I was like this._ He mused to himself as he ate and the family talked. He smiled to himself as Isshin took something Karin said entirely the wrong way and made her snarl at him. _So long since I could be myself._ His conversion to arrancar had brought back his memories and also a good deal of his original personality. Of course, most of that had vanished in the aftermath of Aizen's betrayal. He'd reverted to his adjuchas persona, cold, vicious and cruel. _It's so good to know that Aizen's defeated and Gin is dead._ He would have preferred Aizen to be dead as well, but imprisoned for pretty much forever… that could be considered a fate worse than death.

Truly, the knowledge of what had happened was a balm on his soul. He felt like a wound was finally starting to heal. The annoying mating bond, Kurosaki's anger, it was all worth it. Although he was uneasily aware that he'd given Ichigo a similar wound. He didn't regret it. The forced mating bond had been necessary… but he was aware that he'd wronged the teen. What could he do to make up for it, though?

_Just have to get by for a year and then we'll go our own ways._ He thought, chasing a few bits of rice around his plate before catching them and popping them in his mouth. _Hopefully he won't dwell on it._ It hadn't been as bad as what he'd suffered. They had been enemies, they'd owed each other nothing at all when he claimed the shinigami. Aizen had at least owed him some honesty about Gin.

After supper he decided to take a walk. It was dark out, sure enough, but that was hardly a problem. He knew where he wanted to go… the local park. He walked through the evening twilight, hands in his pockets as the breeze ruffled his slate grey hair. He'd been born with brown hair, as a mortal man, but it had gone grey when he was just in his teens. No one knew why and it hadn't been worth talking to a herbalist about, let alone a doctor. No one went to doctors unless they were dying, the men were entirely too fond of leeches and bleeding.

_Master? Are you alright?_ Pantera asked hesitantly. Grimmjow smiled a little, unsurprised. He was in a slightly melancholy mood as he walked down the trail by the water's edge.

"Just remembering." He said softly. "…Do you remember, Pantera, that time Mary and I went down to the bridge at midnight? To hear the bell tower ring as the stars were bright overhead. Wasn't it beautiful?" He stopped, looking over the still waters of the river, the distant lights of the houses. Then he tilted his head up, looking at the stars. They were beautiful, but so different from what he remembered. But then, that had been in the dead of winter, half the world away.

_I remember._ Pantera said softly and Grimmjow smiled sadly. He wished he had Mary by his side, but at least he could share this moment with his other half. _Master, Kurosaki Ichigo is looking for you._ He said and Grimmjow blinked, turned away from the stars. Sure enough, he could sense the teen looking. But he wasn't having much luck.

"Damned idiot." He muttered, tracking the mating bond easily. Ichigo should have been able to do that, or his hollow should have. But then, maybe his hollow wasn't up for being too helpful. That would be quite like a hollow, actually. "Ichigo! Over here!" He called when he spotted the teen. Even in the dark that hair was bright.

"Where have you been?" He demanded, his brown eyes narrowed with irritation. "Dad was worried about you, walking around at night in a town you don't know." He said it with a long suffering tone and Grimmjow laughed.

"I thought Kisuke told him the truth about me. Doesn't he know not to be worried?" He said merrily and Ichigo rubbed his forehead, clearly experiencing mental pain. "I was just down by the river. It's nice, taking a walk at night sometimes. Why don't you take me home, protect me from all the terrible predators on these mean streets?" He said with perfect sincerity and managed to win another smile from Ichigo. However, it quickly turned into a frown.

"Don't push it." He warned before walking away and Grimmjow shrugged, just following behind.

There wasn't much else to do.


	6. Chapter 6

"God dammit." Ichigo rubbed his head, feeling fatigued.

It was Sunday and he had no school, but plenty of homework to do. It was his final year and he desperately needed good grades to make it into medical school. Yet, he still had his duties as a substitute soul reaper. He was honestly considering asking if they'd take back the badge. This was taking a huge toll on his sleep and he wasn't sure he could endure it much longer.

It didn't help that today he'd had an absolutely filthy headache. Ichigo was grimly certain he knew who to blame for it, too. Grimmjow, aka William, had been gone for the entire day. Where he'd gotten to was a mystery. He'd called Kisuke to ask but the shopkeeper had been annoyingly coy, just assuring him that the arrancar was fine and running an errand for him.

_An errand in Hueco Mundo. I'd say you're right King._ Shiro said and Ichigo nodded. _Dumbass should have asked us to come… although he does have access to all your power if something happens._ If he really needed to, Grimmjow could use the exact same level of power he had against Aizen. So there wasn't much actual danger… just aches and pains from the strained mating bond.

"Well, the headache's finally going away. He must have gotten back. I'm not going to care." He said firmly before booting up his computer. He needed to get some more work done on the damned book report. Maybe even take Grimmjow's advice and babble on a bit. His grades in this class weren't critical anyway. He was hard at work when he heard the window opening, but he didn't look up. It would probably be Rukia or Renji –

"Hey shinigami!" Or that. Ichigo grimaced, keeping his attention on the computer. "Oi! I brought you something!" Ichigo glanced up with a scowl. Grimmjow sounded entirely too pleased with himself and he was carrying a bag? It seemed to be wiggling.

"Not interested." He said briefly, ignoring the arrancar. He was out of his gigai, in his full Espada uniform. "Just make sure no one sees you like that." Trying to explain to his Soul Society friends what Grimmjow was doing here would be difficult, at best. So far he'd managed to keep them in the dark and strangely, the grey hair of the Espada's gigai really helped. Rukia had seen him a few times but hadn't paid the least attention.

"Yeah, yeah, teach your grandma to suck eggs." Grimmjow retorted. That caught his attention because it was incomprehensible. Ichigo tried to decode it for a moment before giving up. It must be something British. "Come on Ichigo! This is something you really like. Aren't you even curious?" He shook the bag, which squeaked a little. "Don't you want to see her?" Ichigo blinked, turning in his chair to give the arrancar a confused look. Then he frowned. He could only think of one 'her' who could fit in a bag.

"Not interested in seeing Yoruichi's cat form, thanks." He went back to his book report and there was a loud sigh behind him. Then there was a sound of rustling fabric and… tape being removed? That made him slightly curious but he wasn't going to give Grimmjow anymore of his attention.

"OK, he's no fun. You can scream at him now." Ichigo lifted his head as there was another tape sound. What –

"ITSYGO!" The shriek took him completely by surprise and his head nearly hit the computer screen as Nel fastened herself to his back, clinging to him and bursting into tears. "YOU DON' WAN' ME ITSYGO?! WAAAAHHHH!"

"Nel?!" He choked out, trying desperately to get her off his neck so he could breathe. Grimmjow's laughter was not helping in the slightest. "Help… agh…" He was in his human body, too, which just didn't have the strength to pry her away.

"Ah, come on Nel, he's turning blue. Let go will ya?" Grimmjow gripped the eternal toddler and she finally let go, still crying like a waterfall. Ichigo turned around to look and saw that she was alone. Well, aside from Grimmjow of course.

"Hey Nel, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you. Where's your brothers?" He asked and Nel's tears managed to increase, to his surprise. "Nel?"

"Szay-sama k-k-killed dem!" She sobbed and he froze, his brown eyes going wide. He met Grimmjow's eyes and the arrancar nodded. "I been alone Itsygo! All alone! Why you never come back for me!?"

"I…" He swallowed, feeling like a bit of a heel. But he'd thought Nel would be fine with her brothers. "I'm sorry Nel. I should have come back." Ichigo said huskily before opening his arms. Grimmjow took the hint and placed Nel in his lap, so she could hug his chest. That was much, much better than hugging his neck. "I'm really sorry but I'm here now. I'll take care of you."

"Eh, you don't really have to." Grimmjow said as Nel cuddled up, her sobbing tapering off a bit. Ichigo frowned at him and the arrancar elaborated. "Kisuke wanted an arrancar to study. I brought him a few dead bodies – Szayel had them on ice in his lab – but then I found this l'il thing running around so I brought her along too. She's going to be staying at his shop so he can examine her."

"What?!" Ichigo said, outraged. How could Grimmjow be so callous? "No way! He'll do who knows what to her!" He snapped but Grimm just shook his head.

"Oh come on, he's not that evil. He's just going to give her a few tests and shit." He said and Ichigo scowled. "Nel said yes. Mind you, he did bribe her with candy." That seemed to remind the eternal toddler and she waved a hand with a small cheer.

"Candy! Do you have candy Itsygo?" She begged shamelessly and he shook his head with a smile.

"No, but we have brownies. Grimm, can you get her a brownie?" He asked and Grimmjow shrugged before leaving the room. "You'll really like them Nel, my sister makes them." He said and brown eyes went wide.

"You gots a sister? Can Nel meet her Itsygo?" She asked and Ichigo blinked. Karin would see Nel but Yuzu probably wouldn't. It was likely better not to complicate things.

"Maybe later, if Kisuke can make you a gigai." That might be good. Maybe they could introduce her as Grimmjow's sister? That would be funny. Then the arrancar came back with a small plate and a tiny sliver of a brownie. "…Isn't that kind of small?" He asked and Grimmjow grimaced.

"You've never seen her on a sugar high, shinigami. This is all she gets." He said firmly and Ichigo snorted at the image. Grimm was probably right, the thought of Nel on a sugar high was daunting. "Make sure you chew brat! You're not getting another." He warned as Nel made to inhale the sweet. Chastened, she nibbled on it and her eyes went wide.

"This is good Itsygo!" She said happily before chewing carefully. "Really really good!" The expression on her little face was blissful and he laughed, patting her on the head.

"I'm glad you like it. Thanks Grimm. This is a much better gift than Yoruichi." He said sincerely. He'd honestly thought the arrancar was going to give him a cat in a bag. That made Grimmjow frown, cleaning out his ear with a pinky.

"Yeah… about that. How did you think I could have gotten the woman in there? It's a small bag!" He said and Ichigo's mind screeched to a ragged stop. Did he not know…?

"Um… you do realize that Yoruichi can turn into a cat?" He said and Grimmjow stopped his ear cleaning before lowering his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face. "A black cat. Her voice is male in that form, for some reason."

"A black cat." He repeated carefully and Ichigo nodded. "With golden eyes?" He asked and Ichigo nodded again. Grimmjow's expression was… odd. Very thoughtful. "When I was alive I would have charged extra for that." He muttered and Ichigo gave him a strange look. "…A LOT extra." He muttered, rubbing his chin and narrowing his eyes. Ichigo finally couldn't take it anymore.

"What are you mumbling about?" He demanded and Grimmjow blinked before giving him an amused smile.

"Oh, all the times that cat sat on the dresser and watched when Kisuke and I screwed like rabbits." He said cheerfully as Ichigo's mouth dropped open. "And all the times she came into the bathroom with me when I was naked and drying off after a shower. Oh, and all the times the perverted little wench licked my wet legs. I thought it was a strange thing for a cat to do –"

"Augh! Stop!" Ichigo covered his ears. "I don't want to know!" He pleaded although he could totally see Yoruichi doing all of those things. She must have been having a field day with Grimmjow. Although… "You're not upset?" If it had been him he would have been EXTREMELY upset. But Grimmjow just grinned.

"Oh hell no. I'm going to pick her up tonight, fluff her fur and ask her if she enjoyed it as much as I did." He laughed at the thought and Ichigo blinked. "We'll see how little miss voyeur reacts when she sees the gig is up. I can't wait!" He sounded like he was really looking forward to it and Ichigo ventured a tentative smile. It actually was pretty amusing when you put it that way. Yoruichi would probably have a massive sweaty palmed moment. "Well, I better get Nel home. Come on Nel, let go." The eternal toddler didn't want to go. It took both of them working together to pry her away and Nel gave him a soulful look.

"Come visit me Itsygo? Please?" She asked and he nodded, patting her on the head with a smile.

"I'll come by tomorrow Nel." He pledged and she beamed. Grimmjow picked her up and went out the window again, this time with the toddler clinging from his shoulders. He left behind the bag and the… masking tape? … he'd used to keep Nel quiet with. Ichigo sighed to himself before tossing the tape in the garbage and putting the bag in the closet. Maybe Grimmjow would need it. "Why is he being so… nice?" He said to himself as he went back to his work. The arrancar hadn't had to bring Nel to him. It was an oddly thoughtful gesture. Shaking his head, he devoted himself to his work.

It would take more than a few gestures to change his mind about Grimmjow.

* * *

Grimmjow whistled to himself as he put his coat away and took off his shoes.

He was at Risa's house. Not that he was alone. No, she'd invited two more of their classmates and they were all going to play Settlers of Cathan. He'd never tried it and didn't know the rules but apparently, it was pretty easy. Also a lot of fun, if the enthusiasm was any indication.

"Everyone, Will's here!" Risa announced with a brilliant smile and he glanced into the kitchen, a bit surprised to see that except for him her other friends were girls. One of them he hadn't met and she stared at him, a blush coming to her cheeks. "This is my big sister, Junna. You know Hikaru." That was another girl from his class and he nodded at them both with a friendly smile.

"Of course. So how does this game go?" He asked as he took a seat and Risa poured him a cup of tea. "Thank you." Green tea wasn't really his thing, he preferred black with cream and sugar, but he would drink it. He'd had it plenty of times at Espada meetings.

"Well, first we roll to see who goes first…" Risa explained the rules as he looked over the board. It sounded like the sort of thing he would probably be terrible at, at first, but quickly get the hang of as he continued to practice. Nodding to himself, he took the dice and rolled. Then laughed at his three.

Risa went first so he was somewhere in the middle. They each got a chance to place a settlement, then it went back, each of them placing another settlement. Grimmjow blinked as he realized that going first was a double edged sword. Sure, it meant you got the best first spot… but it also meant you had a shitty pick of second spots. Then they each took cards for their second position and the play really began.

"It's almost seven." Risa said with some concern after they were done the game. Grimmjow glanced at the clock, a bit surprised. Time had flown. But then, he'd been having fun. "Do you need to get home Will?"

"I should." He agreed before standing. Isshin wasn't as strict with him as he was with his own children, probably because he did have at least a loose grasp of reality. Kisuke had been honest with him about his houseguest so he knew Grimmjow wasn't a child. But despite that he did get very disapproving when William missed supper and he didn't want to deal with a lecture. "That was fun, I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime." Risa went a little pink and Grimmjow had an idea that he'd been invited more for his looks than anything. Half the girls in the class were crushing on him, which was natural really.

Walking home from the house should have been quite easy. However, things took an unusual turn when two men… no, more like teenagers, stepped out of an alley. He glanced behind himself, not particularly worried, and saw two others jogging up behind him. The piercings and the hair were different from what he was used to but Grimmjow still recognized the type. Young toughs out for a stroll, getting their jollies off by beating up hapless victims.

_Well, they picked the wrong one today._ Grimmjow felt a surge of adrenaline and smiled. He couldn't use any special powers unless he exited his gigai, and then the Soul Reapers might sense him. But that was fine. That turned this from a cakewalk into a challenge.

"Hey old man!" One of the kids jeered and Grimmjow lifted his eyebrows before smiling. He'd heard that one before, with his grey hair. "You fight like an old man too?" He said and Grimmjow shrugged, taking a fighting stance with ease.

"Oh yes, I fight like an old codger. Why don't I show you then?" He asked and they laughed and went for him. But he was ready. There was nothing fancy about his hand to hand fighting technique. Just fists, fury and the knowledge of plenty of nasty, dirty tricks. Street fighting at its finest.

It didn't go all his way though. That was too much to ask, with one against four. By the time he was done he had a black eye, a split lip and some painful bruises on his body. Possibly even a broken rib. But two of the little thugs were lying on the ground, unable to move and the last two were badly hurt. One had a broken arm for certain and they both decided they'd had enough, running away. Grimmjow snorted, reaching up to wipe a bit of blood off his face. He had a nasty gash across his forehead, too.

Home wasn't that far away but he frowned as he reached it. If he went inside looking like this, everyone would freak. Instead he consulted with Pantera.

"Hey, Pan? Can you tell that hollow to get Kurosaki out here, preferably with a medical kit?" He said softly and his zanpakuto made an annoyed growl.

_I've told you before, don't call me that! And fine, I'll do it._ He gave in with ill grace and Grimmjow grinned. Then he watched and waited. It took a little while but Ichigo finally got outside, holding the promised first aid kit.

"Will?" Kurosaki said softly and he stepped out, giving the teen a grin. "What the hell happened to you?" He asked with a rather appalled expression. Grimmjow wondered how bad he looked. Probably pretty damn bad.

"Got run over by a moose." He said with a completely straight face and Ichigo snorted as he opened the first aid kit. "Actually, I ran into some young thugs who thought I'd be an easy mark for some fun. I showed them different." He cracked his hands and realized he'd skinned his knuckles on someone's face. "They did call me grandpa. I think they didn't like my hair." He said, knowing that would resonate. Sure enough, Ichigo grimaced and nodded.

"I know the feeling. Did this sort of thing happen when you were in England?" He asked, working on cleaning off the injuries. Grimmjow hissed softly at the sting but forced himself not to pull away.

"All the time. That's how I got good with my fists." He said before gritting his teeth. "Damn!" The cut on his head was really hurting now, a dull throb that went all through him. "Careful there." He muttered and Ichigo gave him an amused look.

"Don't be such a baby. Hmm, most of this looks superficial. Is there anything else?" He asked and Grimmjow hesitated. That brief pause made Ichigo give him a very sharp look. "What else is there?" He asked and when the arrancar still didn't speak, the teen smiled slightly. "I could just get my hollow to ask Pantera."

"Oi! Don't you gang up on me." He growled, annoyed. It would work too, Pantera would absolutely fink him out when it came to his injuries. "Fine." He pulled up his shirt, exposing the nasty, purpling bruise on his side. "Might have a broken rib. It's nothing serious." In his day and age someone would poke you a bit and say, 'yep, broken rib' and that would be the end of it. Maybe medicine had progressed a bit further but Grimmjow rather doubted it. This wasn't Star Trek, yet. Ichigo's hands were on him then and he winced as the fingers prodded him.

"Yes, that looks like a broken rib." The teen said and Grimmjow had to suppress a laugh. It would hurt a bit at the moment. "You'll just have to let it heal. Tell dad if it changes at all."

"I will." He pledged. "Although only because I know him." He added as Ichigo began putting everything back in the first aid kit. He had some nice bandages now. "Back when I was alive, doctors were people who killed you. Oh, and charged you for it." He said sourly and Ichigo glanced up with a faint smile.

"In Victorian England? I'll bet. What are you doing to tell everyone? You still look like you've been in a fight." He asked and Grimmjow thought about it for a moment.

"I'll just say I had an accident in gym class. Too clumsy, fell over my own foot and went face first into a wall." He said cheerfully. He was sure he could get them to believe it and now, he looked like the school nurse could have patched him up. A big hole in the story was that the kids at school would know otherwise but why would Isshin and the girls consult with them? And if they did… technically, he was an adult, despite the birth certificate. Ichigo shook his head but didn't say anything, just starting back to the house. "Oi! Put that where they won't see it or this is going to get pretty damned unbelievable." He said and the shinigami cast him an annoyed look.

"I know, I thought of that already." He said and Grimmjow shrugged, sticking his hands into his pockets to hide the skinned knuckles. When they went inside everyone noticed the damage – it was pretty obvious – but he spun the story well about his 'accident in gym class.' Karin even laughed and told him not to be so clumsy. Supper was still warm and he dug in with gusto. He was developing a great fondness for miso soup.

Grimmjow didn't notice Ichigo watching him thoughtfully before he went upstairs to get some sleep.

* * *

Ichigo lay on his bed, trying to decide what to do.

Grimmjow and Kisuke seemed to be having sex three times a week, from what he could tell. It wasn't exactly on a regular schedule. And the last wet dream had involved Yoruichi too, which honestly didn't surprise him. It was the sort of thing she would do when she knew the gig was up, and would Grimmjow say no? Psh, as if. Still, he could live with that.

The real problem was his hollow and Pantera. Despite the fright he'd apparently put into the zanpakuto, he kept slipping over. Ichigo really wondered why his hollow couldn't go visit Pantera in Grimmjow's inner world. Why couldn't he have the wet dreams for a change?

_It doesn't work that way. To do that I'd have to take Zangetsu and he –_ That sudden pause caught his attention and Ichigo blinked, waiting for his hollow to continue. _…I just had the best idea ever!_

"Oh god." He groaned, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes. "Your 'best ideas' are terrifying. Do I even want to know?" He was guessing he probably didn't.

_Oi! I shouldn't even tell you._ His hollow said sulkily before relenting. _But it's just too good… you should fuck Pantera!_ That made Ichigo sit bolt upright, his brown eyes wide and shocked. _Get it all out of your system! Only Grimmjow will know… and maybe not even him. Pantera might not tell him, hahaha!_

"Wait, you mean… have sex in my inner world?" That idea had never occurred to him and for good reason. His inner world had his hollow and his zanpakuto in it. Zangetsu was not a sexy, cuddly sort of person. And the thought of touching Shiro that way… ugh. It felt like incest. Ichigo blinked as it suddenly occurred to him that touching Pantera would feel like incest to Grimmjow. His zanpakuto resembled him greatly. "That's… not a terrible idea." He said slowly. "Wait, do you want to participate too?" Knowing his inner hollow… the creature giggled madly.

_Hell yes! I'm the one he's submitted to, after all! If I'm going to share I'm going to be there._ He said and Ichigo turned over the idea in his mind. Maybe it was a sign of how much sexual imagery he was being bombarded with, but the thought of being involved in a gay threesome didn't horrify him. And his hollow was right. No one would know… not even Grimmjow, if Pantera kept things to himself. Would he do that though? And did it really matter if Grimmjow knew?

"…No." He decided, laying back down on his bed. Then he closed his eyes, going into his inner world. "When does Pantera usually show up?" He asked his hollow, who grinned widely. Zangetsu was nowhere to be seen, probably he'd made himself scarce as soon as he'd realized where this conversation was going.

"Right after Grimmjow goes to sleep." His hollow supplied helpfully and Ichigo nodded, taking a seat on the roof of the building. He would wait for the wandering zanpakuto. He'd only caught a few glimpses of Pantera and now he was honestly curious. He wanted to see more.

"There he is!" The hollow said before launching himself into the air with a laugh. Ichigo watched, wide –eyed, as the white psychopath caught the blue haired zanpakuto in a tight, possessive grip and gave him a tonsil-seeking kiss. Pantera responded passionately, curling around his hollow in a way that looked sexy and submissive at the same time. Then they separated and Shiro gestured down at the roof. Pantera's eyes widened as he saw the soul reaper there. There was a quick exchange of words, too low for him to hear but then the two of them were swimming in his direction. Ichigo swallowed, hiding any nervousness. This would only be his second experience. Did he really want to do this?

Then he got a really good look at Pantera and the thought drifted away. He was irresistibly reminded of Grimmjow's words… that Pantera was his softer, more sensitive side. His physical appearance reflected that. Long blue hair flowed down his back and bright blue eyes were a bit frightened but also curious. Pantera looked a lot like Grimmjow's resurrection, but without all the cold bones. Ichigo noticed the furry ears and before he even thought about it he was reaching out, running his fingers through that soft fur. Pantera jerked back in surprise but ended up against his hollow's chest. Shiro ran his hands down the zanpakuto's sides, caressing him through the thin linen robe he wore. That immediately relaxed the blue zanpakuto.

"Shiro says you want to have sex with me together?" Pantera asked and Ichigo was struck by the tone of his voice. He sounded like Grimmjow but younger, and slightly higher in pitch. Honestly, he sounded like Grimmjow's baby brother.

"If you're interested." Ichigo said huskily, feeling desire stirring. The zanpakuto was attractive and the lust was untainted by the rage he felt towards Grimmjow. Pantera ducked his head in a shy gesture before looking at him through his lashes. Ichigo wasn't sure if he was being deliberately seductive or if he was just that cute naturally.

"I would like that." Pantera said softly and Ichigo couldn't restrain himself anymore. He slid his arms around the panther, kissing him deeply. His lips were soft and warm, beautifully responsive. It came to Ichigo that this was his first kiss. With a part of Grimmjow, too, which was unutterably strange.

Of course, what was even stranger was having his hollow involved. Ichigo felt Pantera stiffen with a small gasp and pulled back to see that his hollow had pulled down that linen robe and was sucking and nipping on Pantera's neck and shoulders. Ichigo swallowed hard and let go of the zanpakuto, but only so the he could help strip that robe away. It fluttered to the ground and he was slightly surprised to see that Pantera was nude beneath it.

"You don't have his scar." He murmured, running his fingers over the fine porcelain skin, feeling the strong muscles beneath. Pantera shrugged before leaning against him, those black, clawed hands ghosting over his skin and finding the ties to his shinigami' clothes.

"I don't really understand why he kept that mark. Men…" Pantera said and Ichigo was about to point out that he was a man when the panther silenced him with a kiss. It was mind-blowingly hot and Ichigo groaned softly as he was tugged to the ground. "How will we…?" Pantera asked and he paused, uncertain. But his hollow had some very firm ideas.

"We'll take you together. As a team… right aibou?" Shiro said with a grin and Pantera gave him a puzzled look. "Now, spread those legs wide, my pretty little uke." He said to the zanpakuto and he nodded, his blue eyes wide with anticipation and a trace of apprehension. Ichigo kissed him again as he stretched out those long, limber legs, his tail sliding up to rest on Shiro's shoulder.

Pantera whimpered into his mouth and Ichigo looked over the zanpakuto's shoulder to see that his hollow was stretching out the sword spirit. Instead of kissing the panther again, Ichigo began exploring his throat and chest, finding all the best places to suck and nip. The sounds slipping from Pantera's lips were sweet and filled with lust, lewd and deliciously warming. Ichigo was aware of his own hard-on and deliberately rubbed himself against Pantera, giving himself a bit of friction. The zanpakuto reacted with a shiver and Ichigo looked into his face, seeing the flushed cheeks, the half-lidded bright blue eyes and expression of pleasure on that gorgeous face. A face that looked just like Grimmjow…

Pushing that thought away, Ichigo watched as Pantera flung his head back. Shiro was seating himself inside the zanpakuto, his hard length pushing past that tight ring of muscle. Pantera gasped raggedly but didn't seem to be in any pain and Ichigo groaned as the panther gripped his length. But then a white hand was there, pushing away warmer skin and Pantera looked over his shoulder at the hollow with a small, confused sound.

"I said we're gonna take you together." Shiro said with a laugh and Pantera's blue eyes went wide as Ichigo looked at his white double in confusion. What was he…? Then he gasped as his cock was aligned with that already full opening.

Pantera whined and struggled weakly, his clawed hand raising thin lines of red on Ichigo's shoulders as the second cock joined the first. Ichigo was left gasping at the incredible heat and tightness, the mild pain of those claws only enhancing the experience. But from Pantera's whimpers, he wasn't enjoying it nearly as much as the two of them. They just stayed quiet for a moment, unmoving as they gave the panther a few moments to adjust. Then Shiro pulled back slightly before pushing back in. Ichigo followed, trying to work with his white half. Pantera's pained gasps became a yowl as they filled him more completely that he had ever experienced in his life.

"Uh! Ichigo… Shiro…" The zanpakuto panted, his eyes glazed as they began to take him with a strong, fast pace. Ichigo couldn't believe how tight he was, how hot it felt. The sensation of Shiro's length in there, snug beside his only added to the indescribable pleasure of the moment. It wasn't like the mating bond, though. There was no sensation of power inside him but Ichigo found he didn't really miss it. Yes, the mating bond had been a pleasure beyond anything he'd ever dreamed but this felt more real. Despite the fact that it was happening in his inner world, it still felt more real.

Ichigo felt hyper aware of all the little things. The sweat on his skin, the ghostly brush of moving water on his shoulders. The way Pantera's erection was bouncing against his belly, trapped between the two of them. The soft sounds their bodies made as they moved together, taking the cat and making him tremble. And most of all, the glorious expression on Pantera's face. His eyes were closed now, his blue hair floating in the water like a cloud of silk. He kissed the zanpakuto, feeling him moaning into his mouth.

The pace increased, until Pantera was almost bouncing on their laps. The zanpakuto was gasping now, his eyes open again as he was ravaged by the two of them. Ichigo knew he was close, knew that it would be over soon. He simply couldn't hold back anymore, not with that clutching warmth gripping him like a glove. Shiro was growling, a deep, guttural sound that was more animal than human.

But it was Pantera who came first. The cat in their laps uttered a high pitched yowl just before he came. Ichigo's eyes went wide as that wet heat clamped down on them like a vise, almost like the zanpakuto was trying to smother his cock. He couldn't stop himself then. He came hard on the heels of Pantera, shooting his load deep into that trembling, quivering body. Shiro snarled and bit down on the zanpakuto's shoulder before he came as well, filling Pantera a second time.

All three of them were left gasping, limp and exhausted. Ichigo slowly pulled away, exiting Pantera's body with a small pop. Then Shiro did the same and they were left holding the exhausted zanpakuto. Ichigo smiled as Pantera nuzzled his neck. Although… that made him wonder.

_Could Grimmjow look like this?_ Pantera was Grimmjow's sweeter side, true, but could the tougher half ever look like Pantera did now? It was definitely something to think about.

Someday, he might even get to see.


End file.
